Air Transport

Background

Express delivery services and passenger airlines are the biggest donors in the air transport industry, which also includes aircraft manufacturers, pilots and air freight companies. Overall, the industry contributed more than $16.5 million in the 2012 election cycle.

United Parcel Service and FedEx, the top two campaign contributors in the 2012 election cycle, are fierce competitors in the express delivery services industry. United Parcel Service's employees and political action committees donated more than $2.3 million to federal candidates, parties, and outside groups that cycle and FedEx's employees and political action committee gave more than $1.8 million.

As a whole, the industry spent more than $79 million lobbying the federal government in 2013. FedEx spent more than $12.2 million, topping the industry list. Airlines for America spent nearly $8 million, up from about $6.4 million the year before.

As the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, brought increased security concerns, financial losses, layoffs and delays, airlines were accused of neglecting rules to reduce flight delays and compensate customers bumped from flights. The Great Recession hit the air transport industry hard, with fewer people spending money on travel. Fluctuating oil prices have plagued the air transport industry as well, making it harder for it to recover.

The airlines compete fiercely with each other on pricing, but also in grappling to be on the winning end of Federal Aviation Administration decisions that would give one airline an advantage over others in the highly regulated market.

Since the 1990 election cycle, the air transport industry has given 60 percent of its campaign contributions to Republicans and the other 40 percent to Democrats.

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